About me
Life can be hard, and you don't have to navigate it all alone.
Are you feeling misunderstood or worn down from trying to fit in, feeling too much or not enough, experiencing wildly fluctuating emotions or intrusive thoughts?
Maybe you feel stuck in worry, sadness or uncertainty. Perhaps a significant loss, a life-change, or parenting struggles leave you feeling isolated, exhausted, guilty or numb?
You might be feeling life is okay, but want to find more purpose and direction in your work or relationships, or there’s a niggling feeling that something isn't quite right?
However you are feeling, or whatever might have happened or is happening, I offer a space for you to explore your relationship with yourself and others, help you make sense of patterns, and perhaps remove obstacles that may be getting in your way.
My own life experiences, including being late diagnosed with ADHD, being a Carer, and my own therapy, all inspired me to train as a psychotherapeutic counsellor. I hold a Level 7 Master's Degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy (University of the West of England/ UWE).
Although I work with a range of clients, I often work with Neurodivergent clients, or those who feel different in someway.
I work integratively, drawing upon a range of counselling approaches from my training and sometimes weave in creative tools and psychoeducation. But my style and approach will be very much based on what you want and need from counselling, integrating counselling approaches, that feel best for you.
I am trauma-informed, which means I pay attention to how your body feels, as well as listening to your words, understanding that our emotional stories are stored in the body, and going at a pace and direction that feels okay for you.
I understand how difficult it can be for people to take this first step and contact a counsellor. I'm empathetic to the difficulties people often face just trying to cope with their lives and relationships. You can bring all of your different parts to therapy, including the ones you may have been taught to hide. You can swear, laugh, cry, sit in silence, or not know what you want or need; all parts of you are welcome.
I welcome people from all genders, sexualities, places of birth and spiritualities, and am passionate about anti-oppressive practices.
Training, qualifications & experience
- Master's Degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy: University of the West of England (UWE)
- BACP-accredited Training- Counselling Children and Young People Certificate
- Counselling Skills Diploma
- Mindline Listener
- Cruse Bereavement Volunteer
- 10 years of Foster Care Experience, including independent panel member for North Somerset
Before counselling, I worked as a teacher (BA QTS) and tutor for young people with special educational needs and learning disabilities, and as a foster carer for young people with a wide range of disabilities. My desire to walk alongside others, through the ups and downs of life, inspired me to volunteer for Mindline as a call handler and train with Cruse , as a bereavement support volunteer.
I completed my training with a Master's degree at the University of the West of England, a relational counselling and psychotherapy training programme grounded in person-centred, gestalt, and psychodynamic approaches.
During this course, I attended a BACP accredited Children and Young Person's counselling training, I work with young people, ages 16 plus.
I have found the most rewarding parts of my career to be the relationships I have built along the way and having a relational approach to counselling means that clients often gain a deeper understanding of their relationships outside of sessions.
If you feel we might be a good fit, please do get in contact; I'll listen to what feels most important to you and perhaps ask about your hopes for counselling, either through a free phone call or an introductory session. We may also explore how we might work together, and you can get a feel for whether you’d like to work with me, with no judgement or pressure.
Member organisations
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred). Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision. Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training. All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
-Hospitalisation
- End-of-life care
-IVF
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Weekly sessions- £60.00
Fortnightly sessions- £70.00
Concessionary rates - I understand that counselling is a financial commitment, so for those on low incomes, I offer a limited number of concessionary slots. There may be a waiting list for these.
Cancellation Policy: Reimbursed if you cancel with 48 hours' notice. Sadly, I will need to charge for the session if the session is cancelled within 48 hours.
Further information
Please do get in touch if you are considering working with me via email or text, or we can arrange a phone call.
You can ask questions and explore what you want and need from counselling. I will be as honest and open with you as I can.
If you decide to book a first session with me, I will email you copies of my privacy and digital policies, as well as our working contract, which I will discuss in more detail during our first session. I will also request some basic information, such as your contact and GP details, and ask a few questions about your history so that I can better understand and support you as best I can.
Data will be stored securely and in accordance with the Data Protection Act. I am a registered member of the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
ACCESS:
Tuesdays-Arches Therapy Rooms (198 Cheltenham Road):Ground-floor room, wheelchair accessible. There is street parking nearby.
Wednesdays-Home Therapy Room (Weston-super-Mare): Ground-floor room with toilet facilities, both of which are wheelchair accessible.
Thursdays- Whiteladies Therapy Rooms (147 Whiteladies Road): Private side door entry and parking space at the front of the property.
